This week in history

5 years ago – German GP/Sachsenring/2001/500cc – Max Biaggi won from Carlos Checa and Shinya Nakano; the last time that all three podium finishers have been riding Yamaha machinery.

9 years ago – German GP/Nurburgring/1997 – Mick Doohan won on the final visit to the new Nurburgring circuit built close to the original 22.8 km circuit which was first used to hold a motorcycle Grand Prix event back in 1955.
18 years ago – French GP/Paul Ricard/1988/500cc – Eddie Lawson won from Christian Sarron and Kevin Schwantz in what is considered to be one of the best 500cc races of all time, with the first three riders across the line being separated by less than half a second for the first time ever. Fourth place finisher Wayne Gardner had led the race starting the last lap but was slowed with mechanical problems.
21 years ago – French GP/Le Mans/1985 – Freddie Spencer riding for Honda won both the 500cc race and the 250cc race on his way to winning both world titles. This was the last time that a rider has won races in both these classes at a single Grand prix event.
27 years ago – Swedish GP/Karlskoga/1979/250cc – Graziano Rossi, father of Valentino, won his third and last Grand Prix riding the Morbidelli factory machine.
31 years ago – Finnish GP/Imatra/1975/500cc – Giacomo Agostini riding a Yamaha won the 500cc race after fellow Italian Gianfranco Bonera had qualified on pole position riding the MV-Agusta. This was the final occasion in the 500cc class that a four stoke machine started from pole position.
40 years ago – Czech GP/Brno/1966 – Mike Hailwood won the 250cc, 350cc and 500cc races on the same day riding Honda factory machines. The combined distance of the three races was 460 km, with a combined race time of 3 hours 5 minutes and 52.8 seconds.